The National tribune., 1887-09-29
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

Practical Duties Taught BIZ n Study OF the Inter-
national Sunday-seh0Ol Lesson Appointed for
Oct. o. 80. Hatt., 5: 1S-s7.
zone reading these notes should first carefully
studythe paragraph from the Holy Scriptures
indicated abovel
SUBJECT: THE ACCOUNT OF CHRIST CALMING
THE SEA OF GALILEE
Our study is the 18th specific miracle per-
formed by Christ. IL teaches the need of faith
in God whenever We find ourselves in great
peril. We have three reports of this miracle.
One should read the accounts of Sts Mark and
Luke. (See ST. Mark, :3641, and st. Luke,
8: 22-25)
The storm occurred in October, A. d. %. st.
Mark, A: 35, shows it happened at night. In
said verse 1t was "even" ,evening) After that
the multitude surrounding Christ was dis
missed; the boats were gotten in order and had
put ont from shore; the boats indeed were
quite out at sea; Christ had fallen asleep;
hence the storm must have come up hard into
the night.
The boat was sailing from Capernaum TO the
southeast end of the Sea of Galilee viz, to
Gadara. The distance from Capernaum to
Gadara was about 10 miles.
The Sea of Galilee is subject to sudden storms
The author of "Schonberg- Gotta Family" in
her book, "Wanderings Over Bible Lands and
Seas" says: "We were warned by no means to
attempt 4 voyage in it Ia boat, because in the
sudden storms of wind which burst on this in
land sea. as of old, she becomes unmanageable
by the unslsilled bOatmen." Kits, in Land
of Promise" writes: THE position of the Lake
Tiberias unbosomed deep in the midst of
higher tracts of country, necessarily exposes it
TO gusts of wind, and in Winter to tempests" I"
Coleman, in - Historical Geography of the
Bible" declares of the Sea of Gailee: "From
its position between high hills il is exposed to
sudden gusts of wind" DIR. f. ID. Clarke has
the following: The River Jordan continues
its course through the middle of the lake. eaus-
ing "A strong current; and when this is opposed
by contrary winds, which blow here with the
force OF a hurricane from the southeast, sweep
| ing from the mountains into the lake, il may
be conceived that bOlsterous sea is instantly
| raised; this the small vessels of the country
are i'll qualified to resist" Mr.. Tristan, a
traveller in Palestine, having been in a storm
on the Sea OF Galilee. describes thus The
wind continued TO increase. The boat would
not beat, and, with its lateen sail close to the
wind, made very little way. 1t was now pitch
dark. and, finding we made only leeway, We
had to take in sail and ply the oars"
Adam Clarke thinks the particular storm in
| which Christ figured was caused by Satanic in
| fuenee. tEph., 2:2) curious writer of an
| carly day says of the storm that it was prob
| ably excited by Satan, the prince of the power
of the air, who having got the Author and all
the preachers of the Gospel together in a small
| boat thought TO drown them, and thus prevent
the salvation of the world"
In Verse 26 it is said Christ rebuked the
| wind 1t is thought he could not have rebuked
an impersOnal unconscious existence. He re-
buked, say some, the Evil Spirit which, with
/ malice, caused the sudden, supernatural hurri-
| cane. This storm, they say, was as unnatural
| TO the Sea of Galilee as was fever in the
| human body of st. Peters mOther-in-law, and
which Christ likewise rebuked. The accounts
| of travellers, however, confirm the fact that in
| the ordinary course of nature the Sea of Galilee
| is subject to severe winds and storms.
Let US combine, in free way, the three ac-
counts of the storm which we study.
The Disciples dismissed the multitude. Christ
got into the boat His Disciples followed him.
| The latter then took charge of the boat. Christ
had embarked without any particular prcpara-
tiOn on his part. He went, as we say, just as
he was. (St Mark, 4 36.) The boat sailed off
away from Capernaum. Other little boats were
at the shore, and it is possible they, too went
out upon the deep along with the boat that
contained Christ. And there arose. as is very
customary on said sea, great storm Of wind
accompanied by rain; indeed, so severe a storm
as to amount to an actual hurricane. The
waves were beating into the boat and it was
being immerged, so that the lives of the pas
sengers were in peril. All this time Christ
was sleeping at the stern of the boat, with his
head reclining on something which, for the
(St. Mark, a 3S.) The Disciples awoke him
by crying out, "Lordi Teacher! Master! Mas
! ter! Save US! We are perishing! Don't you